Boll breaker and cleaner.



T. L. KINNE. BOLL BREAKER AND CLEANER.

APPLl'CATlON FILED APR.1. 1915.

Patented J une 13, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Lvl

WITNESS 'A Toms/Ey THE coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH co., wAsmNmfoN, D. C.

T; L. KINNE. oLL BREAKER AND CLEANER.

i 1,1 APPLICATION FILED APR. I, 1915. Patented-June 13 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIT/V688 @m /lw/f/vrofr N THE coLuMaxA PLANonR/LPH Co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

LT. I.. KNNE. BoLL BREAKEH AND CLEANER. V APPLICATION FILED APR` l, 19H5. 1,186,798.-

TL. A712126.

WITNESS ATTO/MEV THE coLuMnm PLANOGk/Lmi co., WASHINGTON, o. c.

Patented J une 13 1916.

T. L. KINNE.

BoLL BREAKER AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED AFB. I. 1915. 1,1 86,798. Patented June 13, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

wf/vm' inne.

...il L- w/mfss THB COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPn o0., wAsmNmfom.

'rEMrEL L. KINNE,

OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MURRAY COMPANY, OF

DALLAS, TEXAS, AcoRroIai'rIoir 0F TEXAS.

BOLL BREAKER .AND CLEANER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 13, 1916..

Appli-cation led April 1, 1915. Serial No. 18,629.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, 'TEMPEL L. KINNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and `State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Boll Breakers and Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to an improved meansfor handling and cleaning seed cotton prior to its presentation 'to the gins and 1n such connection it relates more particularly to the construction and arrangement ofthe apparatus constituting such means. l

l-leretofore in the handling of cotton during transit from the wagon to the gins under pneumatic pressure or suction it was customary to send the cotton first through a boll breaker (if required)4 and a cleaning mechanism and thereafter to convey the cleaned cotton to the ginsin either of two 'vva.ys,-namely, by `means of a belt conveyer or b brealiing as well ascleaning are necessary it is usual to combine the l'twoinstrumentalities in one apparatus, the two mechanisms being inclosed in one housing. lf, after the cleaning operation, abelt conveyer was used to convey the cotton to the gins, it was necessary to separate theair from the cotton priorto the delivery of the cotton onto the conveyer. The air separating ymeans was usually located some ydistance from the boll breaker and cotton cleaning apparatus, and operated afterthe` cotton left'ther apparatus. 5f

Some attempts have been made to combine in the breaking and cleaningy apparatus, a means for separatingthe air from the cotton prior to the discharge-'ofthecotton from the apparatus. So the air separatinglmeans was extraneous to the cleaning chamber and depended upon the use of the cleaning screen of -said chambery as the air separating means., It willbeob'- vious to those skilled in the art that all attempts to include in the cleanmg appara-k tus, an airseparating means extraneous to the screened cleaning chamber and which ree quires the coperation ofthe cleaning screen to separate the air from the cotton, must of necessity result in totaler partial failure by reason of the fact that thepa'ssage ofthe air, through the screen, sheets the. cotton 'Eilat upon the screen and thus` impedes ynot a pneumatic conveyer. Where `bollY far as l am aware, however,

such o Y cotton is free'and not bolly. YIn' Vonly the separating but also the cleaning operations.

The operation of the beating or agitating lingers of the cleaner' will partly remove the sheeted cotton but only in the form of stringy, broken sample. certain disadvantages in vthe use of the aforementioned instrumentalities and means are augmented by the main disadvantage arising from the excessive cost of constructlon and maintenance of what may be termed intricate and complicated structures and it is the principal objectL of 'my present invention to obviate all these disadvantages by providing an apparatus or structure wherein,-

n First: The boll breaking and cotton cleaning apparatus is so constructed and arranged that it combines in the one structureV is performed by the escape of air toward the longitudinal axis of the apparatus or centripetally, whereas the functions of breaking and cleaning are performed peripherally or centrifugally in the apparatus.

Second: The boll breaker and cotton cleaner are so constructed and arranged that the apparatus may be used to perform both functions to their fullest extent, or to perform the boll breaking function to a modified extent and the cotton cleaning function toits fullest extent or to perform the cleaning function to its fullest or to a more or less moderate'extent irrespective of the boll breaker which is not functionally in use. The advantage of such adaptability of the apparatus will be understood when it is recalled that, incertain cotton growing localities, a boll breaker is not required as Athe r other localities however both breaking and cleaning operations must be performed on the cotton.

These v InV Myimproved apparatus may be installed in any locality to be used for anyl or all grades orffclasses of cotton by very simple regulation of the apparatus.

y A7 secondary object of my invention is to provide an outlet or discharge for 'the cotton from the apparatus, said Voutlet for the cotton being at the periphery ofthe clean-V ing chamber and the outletY for the air being axially of the apparatus.

Y The nature and scope of'my invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which,-

Figure 1, is a top yor plan View of a boll breaker and cleaner embodying main features of my invention and installed in operative position. upon the gin'stands. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional view of the boll breaker and cleaner. Fig. 3, is a cross-sectional view of the boll breaker and cleaner the sectionbeing taken on line v of Fig.

2. Fig. 4, is a cross-sectional view taken on line y'g/, of Fig. 2. Fig. 5, is a cross-sectional view taken on line z-a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6, is atop view of the apparatus with the entrance end broken away and sectioned to'illustrate theineans for adjustingthe in-V let to the apparatus. Figs. 7V and 8 areend elevational views illustrating modified forms of connecting the discharge from the cleaner Y Y to the belt distributer, and Fig. 9, is aside elevational view illustrating the valve conl trolling the main inlet and the Y overflowinlet to the apparatus.

Referring tothe drawings V1 Vrepresents the external frame for the apparatus Vwhich v Y for convenience in manufactureandfthe as- V semblage of parts is preferably substantially Vpentagonal in cross section with the point of the pentagon pointing downward to form a trash trough 2 whereina trash conveyer 3 of any well known construction is vdesigned to operate. At preferably the inlet end of the apparatus this trough 2 discharges into a pipe el having its exterior end closed.

by a collapsible valve 5V also of well known form. The outsidev frame or Vcasing 1 is built up of alternate wood and metal partsthe metal being preferably' sheet iron or steel-and form essentia partmentor chamber. v Y v Within the casing 1 and'supportedtherein in any suitable manner is a tubular wall or within the tubular casing 6 is arranged the bollA breaking and cleaning mechanism.

This mechanism comprises essentially Y a Y' shaft 7 traversing the yapparatus andv having bearing 8, 8 on the exterior of thecasing 1.

To theshaft 7, which is driven in any vsuitable manner, is Vsecured at intervals a series llyan airtight comf V Y cotton to theaboll breakingjrngers 13 so as to bring all or YaV portion-ofthe boll breaker initially into operation. u lf the cotton Yis Vfree thenfchute 21 may be turned 'to direct the air and cotton from'mo'uth 2O to a point preferably of sheet metal and is provided 'l wallrof the drum extend the breaker paddles or ingers land the cleaning and stirring fingers or paddles 14 both being, as illustrated, of -well' known construction and arrangement. At the inlet or boll breaking end of the apparatus the fingers or paddles 13 coperate with a breast l5 of preferably slatted construction and this breast 15 forms al portion Vof the lower part of the tubular casing 6. A breast regulating device 16 as shown in Fig. 3 serves to bring the breast l5 closer to the paddles 1301' to bringsaid breast and said paddles a farther distance apart as occasion requires. l y

-. At the cleaning part of the apparatus theV fingers 14@ coperatefwith a screen 17 forming the lower part ofthe tubular casing 6.

'tending longitudinally so asv to cover the .with a series of perforations. Beyond the Yso entire boll breaking portion ofthe appara- Y u tus and lsubstantially the major portion of kthe cleaning portion of the apparatus. The

contracted mouth20 forming the entrance to the box like inlet 18 communicates directly with a chute or Hue 21 and saidwchute 21 isprovided with means whereby itmay Y be shiftedin 'the box r18`in 'a direction longitudinally of the( apparatus so that the chute 21 may' connect the mouth'2() with any portionV of the discharge 19 from'box 18. In this manner cotton and air .introduced through mouth y20 are directed by the chute Y which point is determinedby theY n quality, ofthe cotton. Thus if the cottonv is.v

bolly 421 to the proper point in the'appara'tus lio the chute'21 directs the dischargeF of airand beyond the Vboll breaker so that the cotton may be subjected byV theriingers 14 to a cleaning operation without passing'through Y the b'oll breaker. In assembling the parts rangementV is illustrated in 'F ig. .6. Broadly ,l so that the chute 21 may be swung in box 18, Y preferred j form of construction and arconsidered, the front venfdgofV chute 21 isA f K cated in `dotted lines Vin said Fig.r2.

The outlet 26 for lcotton from the apparatus is at the periphery of the casing 27 and terminates in a chute 28 leading downward to the belt distributer 29. The connection between the base of chute 28 and the top of belt distributer 29 should by preference be provided with a valve to prevent air from passing to or from the apparatus l through chute 2S when the belt distributer itself has no valves. In Fig. 7 the valve is in the form of a paddle wheel 30 the blades of the wheel having india rubber or leather fiaps 21. In Fig. 8, the valve is collapsible canvas pocket 32aL of the ordinary well known type. j

The outlet 32 for air from the apparatus is axially located at the discharge end of the apparatus and the wall of outlet 32 forms a continuation of the wall of the hollow drum as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The outlet 32 enters an air box 33 having an outlet pipe 330' projecting beyond the cas ing 1 of the apparatus and connected by pipe 34 with the suction fan 35 (see Fig. 1).

In the operation of the apparatus, the cotton under air pressure is introduced into the apparatus and delivered to the exterior of the hollow drum 12 and between the drum and the casing 6. If the cotton and j air are directed by chute 21 to the boll breaker ngers 13 then the first action of the apparatus is to break the bolls as well as to permit of portions of the air escaping into the interior of the drum 12 through the perforations in the wall 11 of said drum. The cotton next passes into the cleaning portion of the apparatus wherein it is stirred by the fingers 14 and the dirt eX- tracted through the screen section of casing (i. During this cleaning operation the remainder of the air separates from the cotton and enters through perforated wall 11 into the interior of drum 12. The separation of the air is assisted by the centrifugal action of the revolving drum 12 which prevents the cotton clinging to the wall 11 of the drum but does not prevent but rather assists the ready passage of the air to the interior of the Idrum 12.

The cotton whether it is to be treated by boll breaker and cleaner mechanisms confined in whole or with part only of the breaker included, or is to be treated by the cleaning mechanism in whole or part with the boll breaker mechanism excluded is al ways subjected to centrifugal action and the cleaning and breaking is performed extraneous to the hollow drum which forms the conduit for the passage of the air centrally or axially of the apparatus. The outlet 26 for the cotton at the discharge end of the apparatus is arranged centrifugally of the apparatus whereas the outlet 32 for the Sonics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the air is arranged axially or centripetally of the same.

In case of overflow from the belt distributer, a suction pipe a0 is used to convey the overflow to the mouth 20 and to discharge it through a fixed chute Lll directly to the cleaning fingers 1a at a point near the outlet end of the apparatus.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf- 1. In a device of the character described, a boll breaking mechanism and a cleaning mechanism arranged to operate successively upon the cotton combined with means for feeding the cotton to a predetermined point intermediate of the beginning of the boll breaking and the end of the cleaning mecha nisms.

2. In a 'device of the character" described, a cleaning mechanism and an air separating means combined in one structure, said cleaning mechanism consisting ofy a revoluble hollow drum, a series of paddles projecting beyond the periphery of said drum and a screen casing inclosing the drum and fingers, said paddles cooperating with the screen to clean the cotton centrifugally of the drum, and a perforated wall for the drum constituting the air separating means to permit of the escape of the air axially of the device.

3. In a Idevice of the character described, a boll breaking mechanism, a cotton cleaning mechanism and an air separating means combined in one structure, said boll breaking mechanism and cotton cleaning mechanism consisting of a revoluble hollow drum, a double series of paddles projecting beyond the periphery of the drum, a casing inclosing the drum and fingers, a breast formed on one portion of the casing and a screen surface formed on the remaining portion of said casing, said paddles coperating with the breastand with the screen to break the bolls and screen the cotton centrifugally of the drum and a perforated wall for said drum constituting the air separating means to permit the escape of air axially of the device.

4. In a device of the character described, a boll breaking and a cotton cleaning mechanism arranged to operate successively upon the cotton, combined with an inlet for the cotton comprising essentially a chute and a means for directing the chute to varying points intermediate of the ends of the said boll breaking and cleaning mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I have signedl my name to this specification.

TEMPEL Il. KINNE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

